The Washington Capitals have the core to win a championship. It’s insane that Alexander Ovechkin has yet to have a chance at lifting those 35 pounds over his head. And the reason the Capitals keep losing is that they could not face their ghosts in a year of doing exactly that. Had Washington defeated Pittsburgh, we’re talking about a different series right now, perhaps one that continues to go on.

So how did Washington fail to defeat Pittsburgh? In Game five, Pittsburgh’s weakness was shown – bring the game to them, in their zone. Play fast, play smart, and pass well, and the Penguins will lose. That’s exactly what Washington’s plan was throughout much of their series with Pittsburgh.

The answer? There are several faults in the Washington team that don’t exist in Pittsburgh. Now, we address these faults.

1. Net Front Presence

One of the reasons the Washington offense was unable to get goals past Matt Murray was that he was able to see every shot fired at him, with a clear field of vision. The Capitals don’t have that net front presence that can clog the goalie’s sight, that can get in his way, deflect pucks, and get rebounds. And they desperately need one.

If Andrew Shaw remains unsigned by Chicago at the free agency deadline, I would expect Washington to heavily pursue him. He’s exactly what the Capitals need – a player with a lot of heart, who can take a hit and keep going, who will stand in front of the goalie, make it harder for them to save pucks, and get dirty rebounds off of Alexander Ovechkin shots.

In the playoffs, it’s not all about pretty, highlight goals. The Capitals need someone who’s philosophy is different than almost all of their forwards, who can play on the top 3 lines, be productive, and help on the power play, one that was absent versus Pittsburgh.

They need their own Joe Pavelski (version 1.0, the one up until the Cup series), their own Andrew Shaw, their own Dustin Byfuglien, and they need a cheap option. They have to learn to score dirtily, and a player like this would help immensely in future playoffs.

2.  Better Strategy

The Capitals got beat because they relied far too much upon their excellent power play, which was taken away by Pittsburgh. In order for the Caps to go after it again next year, they will need to refocus on scoring in five on five and upon defensive play against small, fast teams like Pittsburgh, as the East has already started copying the mold.

This focuses attention on Barry Trotz, to see if he can make the proper adjustments. Again, this is a team with not a lot of faults that was only beaten after a long series by the now-Stanley Cup Champions. It’s not like they’re Minnesota or Florida, exiting quickly in the first round. They were unready for the team the Penguins had put together this year, and were overpowered.

Changing their strategy and focus should contain that next year, and allow them to do a little overpowering of their own. Alexander Ovechkin will only be in his prime a few more years, it’s about time the Capitals chased down that cup.

 

I could keep going, about how the Capitals need to replace the old with the new and promote prospects in the place of guys like Jason Chimera. I could say that Evgeny Kuznetsov needs to be more ready for the playoffs next year. But half of this is stating the obvious, and the other is me wanting to offer more explanations than necessary.

When it boils down, the Capitals need a physical forward, someone who will battle against defenses and stand squarely in front of the goaltender, making sure the puck hits the net. They need better coaching next go round. And that’s all. They were a good team that met a great team. It’s a shame, but it happens, and Washington will be ready for it next year.